The poetry of Ted Hughes

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Please note that this course has started and enrolment is no longer possible.

Skilfully crafted, imagistically vivid and possessed of a ferocious energy, the best of Ted Hughes' work confirms him as one of the finest poets of the 20th century. Through close analysis of individual poems, we shall explore his art, setting it in the context of his troubled but productive life.

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Course information

Course programme

The following poems are likely to figure prominently in your discussions:

The Hawk in the Rain, The Jaguar, The Thought-Fox, The Horses, Meeting, The Casualty, Bayonet Charge, Mayday on Holderness, Strawberry Hill, A Dream of Horses, Esther’s Tomcat, Hawk Roosting, To Paint a Water Lily, The Bull Moses, Relic, Wilfred Owen’s Photographs, Thrushes, Pike, Snowdrop, Thistles, Second Glance at a Jaguar, Full Moon and Little Frieda, Wodwo, Crow’s Song of Himself, Littleblood, St Botolph’s, The Bee God.

Unless you have the individual collections in which these poems appear, you will need the Collected Poems; the Selected omits a number of important poems on the list. At around £20 this is rather more expensive than is usual for a weekend course poetry text, but is well worth it. You shall be looking closely at the listed poems: please read them in advance and bring the book to every session of the course.

Friday

Please plan to arrive between 16:30 and 18:30. You can meet other course members in the bar which opens at 18:15. Tea and coffee making facilities are available in the study bedrooms.

19:00 Dinner20:30 Introduction; The Hawk in the Rain (I)22:00 Terrace bar open for informal discussion

Sunday

Dietary RequirementsIf you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies please inform our Admissions Team on ice.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 746262 if you have not already advised us of your requirements.

Documents

Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses are in English. Students whose first language is not English should refer to the Competence in the English Language Policy for further guidance.

Printable versions of our brochures are available to download from the Institute Publications page.